LONDON

Amnesty International UK on Tuesday urged the British government to prevent and punish Israel's genocide in Gaza following a UN commission’s findings that Israel is committing genocide in the besieged enclave.

"We welcome the UN commission’s findings that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza – a significant and necessary moment," Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK’s crisis response manager, said in a statement.

Saying that the government "must change" its position and take action without delay, he said all states – including the UK – bear a clear and binding legal obligation to act under the Genocide Convention.

"The Government must now stop indulging in genocide denial. It must urgently fulfil its legal and moral responsibility by taking immediate, decisive steps to prevent and punish genocide," added Benedict.

Amnesty International also reiterated its call on the government to end all UK arms exports to Israel, support the International Criminal Court (ICC) and enforce its arrest warrants, implement International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings in full, and ban all trade with Israeli settlements.

Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza has killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023 and devastated the enclave, which faces famine.

A UN inquiry released on Tuesday found that Israel’s war on Gaza is a genocide.

"It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention," said Navi Pillay, chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the ICJ over its war in the territory.